Valentine's
by the Umbra
Summary: what starts out as a lonely day end up being the start of something wonderful...


"Are you sure this is what you want son?" Laguna looked with concern at the young man who stood behind him fingering his gunblade nervously.  
  
"Yeah, I don't have much choice now do I?" His sounded as if he'd rather not be talking at all, but he knew that he owed the older man an answer.  
  
"Well, you could wait until you're certain you know? There's nothing wrong with being absolutely certain that you're making the right decision." Laguna finished cleaning his machine gun and placed it carefully back in the case where it was normally stored.  
  
"I can't sleep, I can't eat. I've got to go back there. I have to--I have to tell her."  
  
"Well, I'll have a ship take you over to Balamb." He crossed the room and placed one hand on the young man's shoulder, "Are you sure you don't want me to go along, help smooth the way for you?"  
  
"Thank you sir, but no. I made this mess myself, I guess I'll have to clean it up. Thanks for your concern though. I," he frowned and looked down at the floor. It was still so hard to say it. "I really appreciate it."  
  
Laguna shook his head and watched as the young man left his office. He'd had a rough time of it, that was certain.  
  
Quistis sat down behind her desk, her chin resting on one hand. She stared moodily at the poster tacked on one wall that seemed to mock her.  
  
Valentine's Day Dance, Come be part of the Love!  
  
Selphie had been at it again, organizing a huge event. And it was going to be huge. Everyone was talking about the big dance. Female students had been cutting classes all week in order to sneak into Balamb to go shopping for new dresses. Young men were distracted as they sat imagining the magical nights they were hoping to have. Everyone was busy finding dates and ordering flowers and chocolates.  
  
It was absolutely insane.  
  
Quistis sighed heavily. It certainly would have been nice to go to the big dance...but as usual, she was dateless. She'd been so buried in work that she'd neglected to respond to a couple of invites. By the time she'd realized what it was she was missing out on, the respective gentlemen who'd asked her had found other dates. Everyone was going, absolutely everyone, and they all had dates. Even Rajin had managed to find a date, that cute girl from the library with the braids. It just wasn't fair.  
  
Shaking her head, she returned to the pile of student work sitting in front of her and continued correcting papers. There might be a big party tomorrow, but she still had work to do. Duty had to come first.  
  
Xu opened the door to the headmaster's office and stared in surprise at the young man standing there.  
  
"You have an appointment with the headmaster?" She asked in surprise. He was the last person she'd expected to see the day before Valentine's day.  
  
"I do. If you don't mind?" He indicated the interior of the office with a polite inclination of his head.  
  
`Oh, yes, of course. My apologies, please, the headmaster is waiting." She couldn't help staring in surprise at the man as he walked in and greeted the headmaster politely. She'd never seen him like this before. It was a shock to be certain, but if he had a meeting with the headmaster then things were as they should be. Xu left the office quickly and quietly.  
  
"Well now, you can speak freely. Are you certain this is what you want to do?" Headmaster Cid looked at the man seated across from him. He'd changed a great deal during the time he'd spent in Esthar.  
  
"Yes sir, absolutely certain. It's time I fulfilled my obligations to you and Mrs. Kramer."  
  
Cid marveled at the young man. He'd come out of his shell for one thing, he wasn't as reticent as he'd been before. He was more confident in himself and in his ability to succeed.  
  
"Well then, I give you my full support. Your quarters are where you left them." He reached across the desk and handed the young man a single sheet of paper. "This is your schedule. Just, let me know if you need any help with anything."  
  
The young man stood and nodded thoughtfully as he looked at the paper. "Yes sir, thank you." Then he turned and left. Cid could only continue to shake his head. He wouldn't have believed it possible, but there it was.  
  
The next day passed like a whirlwind. Classes had been cancelled halfway through the day due to the excitement over the evenings celebrations. Quistis sat in her room and stared sadly out the window. Outside she could see happy couples milling about as they prepared to go on romantic outings or dates prior to the dance.  
  
"You are just hopeless Quistis! If you'd spend more time socializing and less time worrying about duty and responsibility you might be out there having a good time."  
  
Quistis sighed heavily and turned to look at Xu. "Yeah, I know. But I feel so strongly about my obligations to the school. It's my whole life."  
  
"And you'll miss everything in life if you don't loosen up." Xu stood and straightened her skirt, "Look, Nida and I are going out to dinner. He'd be totally cool with having two ladies to escort to the dance."  
  
Quistis smiled gratefully, "Thanks Xu, I'll think about it. I--I just don't know."  
  
"Well okay, but the offer's still good. Meet us at the fountain if you want to come." She waved cheerily and left the small room and it's lonely occupant.  
  
Hours passed and still Quistis sat in the corner, leaning her head against the cool pane of glass. Finally, as the sun was beginning to set she made her decision. While she might not go to the dance, she certainly would not sit in her room moping. There were still papers to grade and the classroom levels would be quiet with everyone at the party. As long as she had time on her hands, she'd get some work done.  
  
Suddenly there was a loud knock on her door. She paused in the midst of changing her clothes, a puzzled expression on her face. Pulling the soft sweater over her head she crossed the room and opened the door.  
  
There was no one there. There was however a single, long stemmed white rose and a small card. As she kicked the door shut she opened the card and sniffed at the perfect blossom.  
  
I need to talk to you, meet me in the quad.  
  
~a friend  
  
"A friend?" Quistis mused softly to herself. It certainly was mysterious. Perhaps one of the trepies had finally garnered enough courage to tell her how he felt? She wasn't sure, but the delivery of a single perfect rose to her door was curious and somewhat exciting. The schoolwork could wait.  
  
She finished changing and looked at herself in the mirror. She was rather pleased with the result. Even if she wasn't going to the dance, she could look her best for this mysterious meeting. Her long golden hair fell in soft waves past her shoulders. The soft white sweater and the long, lightweight skirt made her seem even more willowy and graceful than the normally tailored clothes she preferred to wear. Smiling shyly she took up that single blossom and headed towards the Quad.  
  
The halls were empty of students and in the distance she could hear the loud thumpty-thump of the band Selphie had hired to play for the dance. The party was in full swing by now and she was certain that just about everyone would be there, except for herself and whomever it was that had summoned her to the Quad.  
  
Her heart beating rapidly with excitement she tripped lightly down the stairs into the Quad. For a moment she didn't see anyone and she felt the bitter stab of disappointment. Then, she saw him, standing still in the shadows at the far end of the open area.  
  
"Hello?" she called out softly as she took a few steps in his direction. All she could make out of the figure was that he was very tall and broad across the shoulders. All other details were lost in the darkness.  
  
"Hello Quistis." The voice was hauntingly familiar, but so soft and almost hesitant that she couldn't make it out.  
  
"Someone asked me to meet them in the Quad..." she trailed off, uncertain as to how she should proceed.  
  
"I did." Again, that hauntingly familiar voice that teased her memory but evoked no name.  
  
"Thank you for the flower, it's lovely." Quistis continued to walk forward slowly.  
  
"I--" for a moment he couldn't speak. He simply stared at the woman walking towards him. She was simply the most stunning woman he had ever seen. His voice caught in his throat and his courage failed. There was no way she was going to hear out what he had to say when she realized who he was. No way at all. Closing his eyes he took in a deep breath. He had to tell her. He'd promised himself that he would start here, nothing else would matter once he'd told her what he had come to say.  
  
"Quistis, I--"  
  
"Please?" Quistis smiled and laughed softly, "could you come out into the light? I can't see you very well, and I can't place your voice." She lowered her head as if she were blushing, but if she were he could not see it in the soft moonlight. "I'm so embarrassed, but I really am at a loss."  
  
"You may not like what you see." He replied softly as he stepped out of the shadows, the moonlight bathing him with it's gentle light.  
  
Quistis looked up and gasped softly, "You!" Her eyes went as cold as ice and she took a step back, "What are YOU doing here?"  
  
Seifer bowed his head and ground his teeth together, he'd known she'd reject him before he even had a chance to say what he'd come so far to say. "If you would just, give me a chance..."  
  
"Wait." Quistis interrupted him and reached out with one hand hesitantly. "YOU left this for me and asked me to come here, the least I can do is hear you out."  
  
Seifer raised his head and looked at her silently for a moment, then he smiled slightly. "Thanks Quistis. Thank you. I really did need to talk to you."  
  
"Well then, talk."  
  
The tall young man before her gestured to a nearby bench. Taking the seat she stared up at him as he paced back and forth in front of her.  
  
"After you all defeated the Sorceress Ultimicia, I left Balamb and went to Esthar. Headmaster Cid had declared that I could come back to Garden and continue my training if I so desired, but...I felt unworthy of his forgiveness. I told him that I would consider it after I'd had some time to make up for the damage I'd caused."  
  
He stopped and looked up at the moon, his expression pensive as he remembered the things he had done when under the influence of the sorceress. There was pain and sadness etched on his features and Quistis was moved by the sincerity she heard in his voice, but she remained quiet.  
  
"I ended up in Esthar because no other city would suffer me to be around. I was shunned everywhere I went. But President Loire, he had pity on me and offered to help me get my life straightened out. He took me in and put me to work, community service he called it, helping the people who'd been harmed by the sorceress' actions. That's where I've been for the past year, until I felt that I was ready to come back here and pick up where I left off."  
  
Quistis was surprised. "Did Squall know?"  
  
Seifer nodded, "It was his idea actually. When he heard about what was happening to me, he contacted his father. I'd actually been arrested as an enemy of the state in Galabadia and thrown into prison. If Squall's father hadn't interceded, I'd be there still."  
  
"I see." Quistis tiled her head to one side as she regarded Seifer. She was perturbed with herself in that she kept finding herself marveling at how changed he seemed, "But what does any of this have to do with me?"  
  
Seifer looked down at her and for the first time he smiled gently. Quistis couldn't resist smiling back. She was struck by how sweet he looked when he smiled, so handsome and kind. He sat down beside her and looked at the rose she was absently twirling back and forth between her fingers.  
  
"I had to come back, to tell you, because--" he swallowed hard and stared down at the ground, "because I needed to know that you at least would forgive me." His voice cracked with suppressed emotion and he fell silent.  
  
Quistis bit her lip and pondered his words. She felt terribly. The Headmaster had proclaimed Seifer innocent of all the charges against him after Ultimicia had been defeated. Edea had explained in full how the sorceress' had manipulated and controlled the young man, causing him to become a dangerous foe rather than an ally to the other SeeDs. She realized suddenly that she had judged him unfairly and was continuing to do so. She reached out and placed on hand on Seifer's shoulder and felt the tenseness of his shoulders beneath the fabric of his coat. It was then that she realized he wasn't even dressed like she remembered. He was wearing a soft dark suit that made him seem older, more mature.  
  
"Seifer, I should be the one apologizing. If anyone was a victim to Ultimicia, it was you. You shouldn't have had to suffer after she was defeated. Of course I forgive you."  
  
She smiled gently as he raised his face and looked at her with relief shining in his eyes.  
  
"You don't know how much that means to me Quistis, thank you." He had taken her hands in his own and raised one to his lips.  
  
Quistis laughed a bit nervously, "I don't see why you would care. I'm just one person after all. Obviously Squall has forgiven you, and Laguna and Cid. Why would I matter?"  
  
"I've always respected you greatly Quistis. You're smart and talented and devoted to your friends." He looked away but not before Quistis noted the tightening of his eyes and jaw. "I realized that if I was going to see the woman I'd come to have such deep feelings for everyday as I finished my training, I would have to be able to look her in the eye. I couldn't do that knowing you hadn't forgiven me."  
  
Quistis couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Seifer saying what she thought he was saying? Was she of all people, on Valentine's day no less, being told that she was loved?  
  
"Seifer?" She squeezed his hands and tried to catch his eyes with her own. "What are you trying to tell me?"  
  
Seifer returned her glance and smiled shyly, "I guess--I guess I'm trying to tell you that I care for you, more than you know, and I'm hoping that maybe you'll consider letting me call on you?"  
  
Quistis burst out laughing. "Call on me? CALL on me? You," She gasped for breath, "You sound like Laguna!"  
  
Seifer threw back his head and laughed as well, "I suppose I do. He's the one who told me that I should tell you how I feel."  
  
The pair sat in the moonlight laughing gleefully. Their laughter as joyful as that of children freed of the cares and worries of the world. And as they laughed, all the animosity that had been built up over the years was washed away. It was a perfect time to start anew, on Valentine's Day, when hearts are filled with love and caring, and love blossoms fresh and sweet.  
  
Happy Valentine's day FFFers! 


End file.
